Study Finds Higher Cancer Near Nuclear Plants

A Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study published last week in Nature Communications finds U.S. counties nearer operational nuclear power plants (2000–2018 data) experience higher cancer mortality rates than more distant counties. Researchers estimated roughly 115,000 associated cancer deaths (about 6,400 per year) after adjusting for socioeconomic and health factors, but cautioned the results do not establish causation and call for further research.